Application of hair treatment compositions to distinct hair strands allows the user to achieve a different look than a full head application. Hair treatment compositions for providing a hair strand effect include highlighting compositions, dyeing compositions, perming compositions, styling compositions and mixtures thereof.
Hair strand effects such as those provided by highlighting compositions and dyeing compositions must be precisely applied where desired. For example, if a too abundant amount of highlighting composition is applied to the root, it may transfer to the neighbouring unselected hair strands. This may alter the overall end result and may totally disrupt the pattern that the user has tried to create. In addition, hair treatment compositions such as highlighting and dyeing compositions comprise strong oxidants to bleach the melanin pigments. In view of its reactive chemical nature, most applications of highlighting and dyeing compositions if unexpectedly delivered in excess to the root-line, may also transfer to the scalp which can lead in some cases to unnecessary skin irritation. In addition, if an excessive amount of product is applied to the root, the colour effect will not be consistent along the length of the hair, leading to an undesired visual effect. If, instead, insufficient composition is applied to the hair strands, the evenness of the hair strand effect may not be achieved producing an end result which is visually unacceptable. Hence it is important that a consistent amount of product is applied uniformly along the hair strands being treated.
One known method for providing hair strand effects such as highlighting is the cap and hook system. A cap, provided with holes, is positioned over the head and hair strands are pulled out with a hook. Far from being accurate, the cap and hook system suffers from several drawbacks including random selection of the hair strands via the holes on the cap and the likelihood of applying the highlighting composition to only a portion of the selected hair strands and not to the root portion.
Several hair treatment applicators have been designed for application of a hair treatment composition to independent bundles of hair strands as alternatives to the cap and hook system. These applicators belong to two general fields. One field comprises applicators based on combs and/or brushes. The other group comprises applicators having two articulated portions which are movable one relative to the other. Many attempts have been disclosed in this later field. U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,968 refers to an applicator for liquid treating material to be loaded by immersion. This applicator comprises a trough and a hair guide member mounted on the ends of the legs of a U-shaped resilient spring. The spring allows for manual compression and permits the hair guide member to fit into the trough. U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,231 discloses a device for applying a hair product to hair strands. This device comprises two articulated portions; the application means to be loaded by immersion and the retaining member to keep the hair strands on the applicator means while the device is in use. Another attempt is shown in US2003/0024544 wherein a device is disclosed provided with a cavity for the hair product and a retention member which is elastically deformable. The retention member may comprise porous or fibrous material and the cavity is provided with at least one notch to keep the hair strands in position during the application of the hair treatment composition.
It is generally recognized that self-application of a composition to achieve hair strand effects are difficult per se, in particular those for highlighting and dyeing. To achieve the expected end results, a hair treatment applicator capable of facilitating the self-application of a hair treatment composition needs to be conceived to address several technical challenges.
Firstly, the hair treatment applicator should apply an amount of hair treatment composition, which is sufficient to provide a hair strand effect without transferring to neighbouring strands or the scalp and skin.
Secondly, the hair treatment applicator should not apply but then subsequently scrape off the hair treatment composition while the user moves the applicator along the bundle of hair strands.
Thirdly, highlighting and dyeing compositions in particular, are formulated so as to stay in place for a period of time long enough for the chemistry contained therein to provide the effects to the keratinous fibres. The hair treatment applicator should thus be designed to readily apply hair treatment compositions typically formulated as gel, cream or paste avoiding displacement and dripping out of the applicator while the user treats the hair.
Fourthly, the whole application process should occur in a tidy and clean fashion without hair treatment composition being inadvertently displaced out of the hair treatment applicator.
In addition, the hair treatment applicator should not let the hair treatment composition remain unused or sequestered within the applicator. If the hair treatment composition is visually sequestered, it may increase the signal for the user to reload thus inducing the user to load more hair treatment composition than the device may contain, leading to an increased risk of mess for the user during the application of the hair treatment composition.
Moreover, the hair treatment applicator should evenly apply the composition to independent bundles of hair strands. Evenness is very important when the composition is a highlighting or dyeing composition. The permanent effect provided by these compositions is not immediately visible after the application and if the result is not appealing, it is not easily reversed. A hair treatment applicator should hence ensure homogeneous coating along the length and width of the bundle of hair strands and likewise on the front and rear surfaces.
Finally, an applicator for hair treatment compositions should be easy to use; it should be doubtless cheap and easy to produce and it should not require any special experience and training in matters such as how much and where to load the hair treatment composition. Ideally, the consumer should be able to load and use the applicator by simply following a few instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Thus, what still remains to be solved in the art is an applicator capable of overcoming the technical problem defined above.
It has now been found that an applicator (as defined herein after) can significantly improve the application of hair treatment composition to provide hair strand effects.